Firing mechanism of breech-loading guns.



A T.- DAWSON & G. T. BUGKHAM.

FIRING MECHANISM OF BREEGH LOADING GUNS.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG.17, 1912.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914,

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.17; venl'arus:

A. T. DAWSONK: G. T. BUGKHAM.

FIRING MECHANISM OF BREE-CH LOADING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1'7, 1912.

Patented Mar.31,1914.

a SHEETSSEEET 2.

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A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

FIRING MECHANISM OF BREEGH LOADING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1912.

1,091,639 V Patented Mar. 31, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. \7

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QFFIGE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSONQAND GEORGE'THOMAS BUCKI-IAM, OF WESTMINSTER,

LONDON, ENG-LAND, ASSIGNOBS TO VIGKERS LI1VII"IIElD, OF WESTMINSTER,

ENGLAND.

FIRING MECHANISM OF BREECH-LOADING GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented M 31 1914 Application filed August 17, 1912. Serial No. 715,582.

Dawson, knight, and GEORGE THOMAS BUCK- HAM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, WVestminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating. to the Firing Mechanismof Breech-Loading Guns, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the'firing mechanism of breech loading guns, and has particular reference to mechanism of the kind set forth in the specification of our application for British Patent No. 29929 of 1910 in which the lock casing moves rearwardly to cause the used primer to be extracted from the primer chamber of the vent axial and a new primer from a carrier or magazine, and then moves laterally to cause the new primer to occupy a position suitable for insertion into the primer chamber on the return lateral andforward movements 'of the look casing.

According to the present invention the lock casing is under the control of an actuating link which is pivotally connected to a member operated by the breech actuating mechanism and which duringthe first stage of the opening of the breech is moved laterally to efiect the unlocking of the casing from the box slide, the initial rearward or Wedging out movement of the lock casing and the retractionof the striker, and is'then rocked about its pivot to complete the rearward movement of the casing. A connection is then established between th lock casing and the member operated by the breech actuating mechanism to cause the said casing to move laterally with the said member.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation and, Fig. 2 a plan showing our lmproved firing mecha- 1s a sectlon taken 'ap'proxr nism. Fig. 3 mately onthe line 1-1 of Fig. 2 with the member that is operated by the breech actuatingmechanism moved slightly to the right 1 of its normal or closed position. Fig. 4c is a section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 2 showing the lock casing and its parts in the firing position. Fig. 5 is a sectlon taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. F1gs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are sectional plans showing the lock casing and its parts in respectivelythe firing position, the un- I I In these figures A is the lock casing, B

the box slide, B the vent axial on which the box sllde 1s mounted in the usual manner, C the primer carrier or magazine rotatably mounted on the stem 79 of the box slide, I) the guide bolt and D the link I of the breech actuating mechanism.

E represents the aforesaid actuating link and F the aforesaid member which is operated by the breech actuating mechanism.

The lock casing A isin the example shown provided with a spring clip A under the control of the striker spring A (Fig. 5) and is furnished on its front surface with a groove a for the reception of the head of a forming part new primer in the magazine C. The said lock casing is guided by the ribs b", b in the box slide B during its axial and lateral movements. The member F is connected to the link D by the guide bolt D and is slidably mounted in the box slide B by the extensions F' which are disposed inrecesses in the upper-and lower surfaces of thebox sl1de B. In the example shown two actuating links are employed and are pivoted to the said member F at e. The-said links are ment by transverse grooves b in the box slide; the grooves Z) also serve the purpose of locking the casing, when 'in its forward guided during the initial part of their movei position, to the box slide. Each ofthe said i links is, in the example shown, formed with parallel inclined surfaces 6 e cooperating with corresponding inclines a, a on the lock casing A, so that when, during the initial movement ofthe breech actuating mechanism in opening the breech, the link E moves laterally, the inclined surfaces 6 will forcibly move the lock casing slightly to the rear as shown in Fig. 7, and during the final portion of'the closing movement of the I breech mechanism the forward inclined surface 6 will force the lock easing into contact with the box slide, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The said rearward movement of the lock casing causes the used primer to be extracted from the chamber in the vent axial by the groove a and also extracts by means of the said groove a new primer from the magazine C. The rotary movement of the primer magazine in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 11 brings a primer into position at the right-hand end of the groove through a gap in the upper wall of this groove. The lateral movement of the lock casing then effects the complete engagement of the primer head in the groove so that the aforesaid rearward movement of the casing extracts the primer from the magazine. Each of the links E is formed with a shoulder e" which during the continued opening movement of the breech actuating mechanism engages with a fixed stop B as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 to cause the said links to be angularly displaced about thepivot (the links having previously moved out of engagement with the grooves 72') thereby carrying the lock casing rearwardly to the full extent by the cooperation of a.t0e piece E* on each of the said links with the inclined surface a of the lock casing. Each of the said links isformed with an extension E which, during the closing movement of the breech mechanism, cotiperates with the stop B to cause the links to be rocked in the reverse direction to that mentioned above in order-to effect the forward movement of the lock casing by the cotiperation of the toe piece with the inclined surface a.

Each of the links E is formed with an inclined surface e which is preferably, as shown, made steeper than the inclined surfaces e, e and which, during the initial portion of the lateral movement of the links, cooperates with -a projection a of the striker A so that a quick retraction of the striker is effected.

The member F is formed with a recess F which, when the lock casing has completed its rearward movement and reaches the position shown in Fig. 8, receives a projection A on the lock casing A so that the link and the casing are temporarily connected and the casing is thereby displaced laterally by the member F as aforesaid. The used primer is ejected from the spring clip A? and a new one caused to take its place by the cooperation of the used primer with the new one (which is supported by the wall B of the box slide) as. shown in Fig. 9. The primer magazine O is preferably, as shown, angularly displaced by the cooperation of a, spring controlled pawl C pivotally mounted on the guide bolt D, with teeth formed on the magazine, the angular step-by-step movement of the magazine being controlled by means of a catch 0 on the box slide.

The re-priming operations are performed during the ordinary opening and closing of the breech mechanism, and not only render any additional gearing in the breech screw carrier unnecessary, but dispense with the striker retracting devices required with the ordinary look.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In breech actuating and firing mechanism for ordnance, the combination with the lock casing, the member operated by the breech actuating mechanism for moving said casing, and the firing pin carried by said casing, of an actuating device for said casing, means whereby, during the initial opening of the breech, the said device is moved laterally, means whereby this movement unlocks and moves the casing rearward and retracts the firing pin, and means for rocking the said device to complete the rearward movement of the casing.

52. In breech actuating and firing mechanism for ordnance, the combination with the lock casing, the member operated by the breech actuating, mechanism for moving said casing and the firing pin carried by said casin of an actuatin link for said casing, means whereby, during the initial opening of the breech, the said link is moved laterally, means whereby this movement unlocks and moves the casing rearward and retracts the firing pin, and means for rocking the said link to complete the rearward movement of the casing.

3. In breech actuating and firing mechanism for. ordnance, the combination with the lock casing, the member operated by the breech actuating mechanism for moving said casing, and the firing pin carried by said casing, of an actuating link for said casing, a sliding member connected to said link and to the said member operated by the breech actuating mechanism, means whereby the sliding movementof the link unlocks and moves the casing rearward, and retracts the firing pin, and means for rocking the said link to complete the rearward movement of the casing.

4. In breech actuating and firing mechanism for ordnance, the combination with the lock casing, the member operated by the breech actuating mechanism for moving said casing, and the firing pin carried by said casing, of an actuating link for said casing, a sliding member connected to said link and to the said member operated by the breech actuating mechanism, an inclined surface on said link, a corresponding inclined surface on the lock casing, whereby the casing is moved rearward, means whereby the sliding movement of the link retracts the firing pin, and means for rocking the said link to complete the rearward movement of the casing.

5. In breech actuating and firing mechanism for ordnance, the combination with the lock casing, the member operated by the breech actuating mechanism for moving said casing, and the firing pin carried by said casing, of an-actuating link for said casing, 'a sliding member connected to said link and to the said member operated by the breech actuating mechanism, an inclined surface on said link, a corresponding inclined surface on the lock casing, whereby the casing is moved rearward, a second inclined surface on said link, a corresponding inclined surface on the'firing pin and means for rocking said link to complete the rearward movement of the casing.

6. In breech actuating and firing mechanism for ordnance, the combination with the lock casing, the'member operated by the breech actuating mechanism for moving said casing, and the firing pin carried by said casing, of an actuating link for said casing, a sliding member connected to said link and to the said member operated by the breech actuating mechanism, an inclined surface on said link, a corresponding inclined surface on the lock casing, a second inclined surface on said link, a corresponding inclined surface on the firing pin, a projection on said link and a fixed stop with which said projection cooperates.

7. In breech actuating and firing mechanism for ordnance, the combination with the lock casing, the member operated by the breech actuating mechanism for moving said casing, the firing pin carried by said casing, and the primer magazine, of an actuating device for said casing, means whereby, during the initial opening of the breech, the said device is moved laterally, means whereby this movement unlocks and moves the casing rearward and retracts the firing pin, means for rocking the said device to complete the rearward movement of the casing, means for imparting an intermittent movement to the primer magazine, and means whereby the lock casing engages with the head of the used primer and of a new primer in the magazine.

8. In breech actuating and firing mechanism for ordnance, the combination with the lock casing, the member operated by the breech actuating mechanism for moving said casing, the firing pin carried by said casing, and the primer magazine, of an actuating link for said casing, a sliding member connected to saidlink and to the said member operated by the breech actuating mechanism, means vwhereby the sliding movement of the link unlocks and moves the casing rearward and retracts the firing pin, means for rocking the link to complete the rearward movement of the casing, means for detachably connecting the casing to the said sliding member, means for imparting anintermittent movement to the primer magazine, and means whereby the lock casing engages with the head of the used primer and of a new primer in the magazine.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence oftwo witnesses.

Witnesses: V

HENRY KING, J NO. R. OASWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' 1 Washington, D. 0. 

